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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · pound · capital · plane · last · bulb · mouse · march

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — money
  4. last — to go on
  5. court — of law
  6. capital — a city
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of a king
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — music
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com